Bascule bridge



May 20, 1941. c. H. MooRE 2,242,515

BASCULE BRIDGE' Filed Nov. '7, i939 w ssheetsfsneet 1 l'ulmmimlmm Llllmmu...

INVENTOR Clarence fi Moore ATTO NEYS May 20, 1941. .c. H. MOORE BAscULE BRDGE Filed Nov. '7, 1939 s sheets-*sheet 2 QN .N .WVAFRH Q mm M @n ww QN NM@ MW, mm@ mm n. v d U wm wm, @www @www Sw wv @www ,www

gYWQ/wbo/b C/arence H Moore May 20, 1941. c. H. MOORE BAscULE BRIDGE Filed Nov. 7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PAT T OFFIQE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for bascule bridges. Among the numerous objects of the invention are: to provide operating mechanism so disposed as to permit the bridge to be built lower while at the same time maintaining the motor, at least in the closed position of the bridge, well above the water line; to provide operating mechanism which may be assembled in the shop and shipped as a unit, thereby effecting a substantial saving in erecting time and in eld labor cost; to utilize a reduction gearing train positioned in back of the pivoting axis of the leaf so that the pivoting axis may be positioned further forward, thereby increasing efflciency of design; and to utilize a pivoted rack together with anchorage means for the rack whereby the latter may adjust itself to some extent horizontally so as to avoid stresses resulting fromv inexact alignment with the leaf axis or deflection of structural parts such as would tend to shift the rack center.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings to which reference will now be made. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of a bascule leaf embodying operating mechanism in accordance with the invention, a supporting foundation being also shown in the section;

Figure 2 is a partial transverse section of the leaf, on a larger scale, substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the operating mechanism; and

Figure 4 is a section substantially on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral I0 designates' generally a bascule leaf provided at each side with trunnions as at II, Figure 2, journalled in bearings as at I2, which bearings are mounted on the tops of the side walls of the foundation I3, the latter defining a counterweight pit I4. The counterweight is shown at I5, Figures 1 and' 3. The exact construction of the leaf Ill is immaterial except that for the convenient mounting of the operating unit, as here particularly contemplated, it should include cross structural members as at I6 and I1 which are, respectively, forward and to the rear of the pivoting axis of the leaf.

The operating unit includes a frame comprising parallel side plates I8 and I9, which may be reinforced as desired, connected adjacent their ends by cross plates 2B and 2| through the intermediary of angles as shown. Mounted in bearings 22 and 23 welded on the side plates I8 and I9 at suitable openings in the latter is a shaft 24 which supports a rack 25 having a forward extension 26 which supports a transverse pin 21. Meshed with the teeth of rack 25 is the terminal pinion 28 of a train of reduction gearing mounted on shafts 29, 3B, 3I, and 32 which are journalled in bearingswelded on the side plates at suitable openings in the latter. These shafts are stepped one above another and are each at a distance from shaft 24 greater than the radius of the rack 25 so as not to interfere with the latter. The input shaft 32 is adjacent the top edges of the side plates I8 and I9 and has an input gear 33 which as here shown, projects above the side ledges to be engaged by a pinion 34 fixed on a shaft 35 which is journalled in bearings 36 and 31 on a horizontal plate 38 which bridges the upper edges of the side plates, Figure 2. Brake mechanism 39 is associated with shaft 35 between bearings 36 and 31 and at its endv opposite pinion 34 the shaft is connectible by means of a coupling 40 with the armature shaft 4I of motor 42 which may be mounted on a frame extension 43. The motor 42 is provided with brake mechanism 44. It will be evident that all described gearing together with the motor, if desired, may be assembled at the shop so that it can be shipped to the job as a complete unit.

The frame members I8 and I9 of the operating unit are of a length to be received between the cross members I6 and I1 ofthe leaf construction, below the floor of the leaf, so as. to have their ends rigidly secured thereto by welding through the intermediary of angles, as shown, with the rack co-axial with the leaf trunnions. Preferably the latter and shaft 24 are counterbored 'in order to facilitate lining up. With the unit secured in position in the leaf, the rack teeth are directed downwardly and pin 21 is engaged in horizontally elongated slots, as at 45, Figure 3, in the upper ends of upright bars 46 and 41 set in the front wall of the foundation I3, these bars being set somewhat farther apart than the thickness of the rack extension 26 as indicated in Figure4. The rack thus has a horizontally deviable anchorage since the pin and slot connection permits lateral play relative to the bars 46 and 41 so that even when deflected for any reason from exact alignment with the trunnions, the rack is not subjected to undue twisting stresses.

With the leaf in closed position the moto-r is 4above the level of the trunnions so as to be well above the normal water line and yet the entire operating unit is compactly disposed below the leaf floor so as to be completely out of the way. Upon forward drive of the motor pinion 28 travels across rack 25 from the right hand position of Figure 3 to the left hand' position, thereby swinging the leaf upwardly, reverse rotation of course, returning the pinion to its* right hand position.

It will be understood that changes in the form and the arrangement of parts may be made in the described mechanism without departure from' the invention, and accordingly I do not limit myself to such details except as in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An operating unit fo-r a bascule bridge leaf comprising a frame, a rack pivoted in said frame, reduction gearing journalled in said frame and arranged to lconnect said rack with a source of power, and means for anchoring said rack to a foundation, said frame being securable in operative relation to the leaf structure below the floor of the latter and with the pivoting axis of the rack coincidental with the pivoting axis of the leaf.

2. An operating unit .for a bascule bridge leaf comprising a frame, said frame being securable in operative relation to the leaf structure, a rack pivoted in said frame, reduction gearing journalled in said frame and arranged to connect said rack with a source of power, and horizontally deviable means for anchoring said rack to a foundation.

3. An operating unit for a bascule bridge leaf comprising a frame, a rack pivoted in said frame, a motor carried by said frame, reduction gearing journalled in said frame and connecting said motor and rack, and means for anchoring said rack to a foundation, said frame being securable in operative relation to the leaf structure below the floor of the latter and with the pivoting axis of the rack coincidental with the pivoting axis of the leaf.

4. An operating unit for a bascule bridge leaf, said leaf comprising trunnions and cross structural members in front of and to the rear of said trunnions, said members being beneath the floor of the leaf, said unit comprising a frame, a rack pivoted in said frame, reduction gearing journalled in said frame and arranged to connect said rack with a source of power, and means for anchoring said rack to a foundation, said frame being adapted to be positioned between and secured to said members with the pivoting axis of the rack coincidental with the pivoting axis of the leaf and with the rack, reduction gearing, and anchoring means all beneath the leaf floor.

5. The combination with a bascule bridge leaf, of a rack in the form of a downwardly curved arc supported on the leaf with its center substantially coincident with the pivoting axis of the leaf, means anchoring said rack externally of the leaf, a train of reduction gearing supported by the leaf to the rear of said axis when the leaf is closed, said gearing including a terminal pinion engaged with said rack, the remainder of said gearing being stepped above said pinion when the leaf is closed and the input end of said gearing being at the highest point, and a motor in driving connection with the input end of said gearing, said rack, anchoring means, gearing and motor all being disposed beneath the leaf floor.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said rack and gearing are mounted in a common frame so as to be disposable as a unit in operative position on the leaf.

7. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said rack and gearing are mounted in a common frame so as to be disposable as a unit in operative position on the leaf, and wherein the leaf includes cross structural members between which said unit is securable.

8. The combination with a bascule bridge leaf,

of a rack in the form of a downwardly curved arc supported on the leaf with its center substantially coincident with the pivoting axis of the leaf, means anchoring said rack externally of the leaf, a train of reduction gearing supported by the leaf, said gearing including a terminal pinion engaged with said rack, the remainder of said gearing being stepped above said pinion when the leaf is closed and the input end of said gearing being at the highest point, and a motor'. in driving connection with the input end of said gearing, said rack, anchoring means, gearing and motor all being disposed beneath the leaf floor.

9. The combination with a bascule bridge leaf, of a rack in the form of a downwardly curved arc supported on the leaf with its center substantially coincident with the pivoting axis of the leaf, a train of reduction gearing supported by the leaf, said gearing including a terminal pinion engaged with said rack, a motor supported by the leaf in driving connection with the input end of said gearing; said rack, gearing and motor all being disposed beneath the leaf floor; and means disposed beneath the leaf oor anchoring said rack externally of the leaf.

CLARENCE H. MOORE. 

